1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a testing apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a testing apparatus having a probe card capable of reducing a test time and a testing method using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a semiconductor manufacturing process is broadly divided into a fabrication process, which is an earlier process, and an assembly process, which is a later process. In the fabrication process, an integrated circuit (IC) pattern is formed on a wafer. In the assembly process, the wafer is divided into a plurality of chips. Conductors such as conductive leads or balls come in contact with each of the chips to exchange signals with external devices, and then the chips are molded with, for example, epoxy resin, to be assembled as an IC package.
Before the assembly process, an electrical die sorting (EDS) process for testing electrical characteristics of the respective semiconductor chips on the wafer is performed. In the EDS process, defective chips among the chips formed on the wafer are detected so that a reparable chip is repaired and an irreparable chip is removed to save the time and cost spent in subsequent processes. After the fabrication process, testing for detecting short, open, direct current (DC) and pattern failures is performed.
To determine whether semiconductor chips on a wafer are defective, a separate testing apparatus is used. The testing apparatus includes a probe card that has a plurality of needles electrically contacting pads of the respective chips on the wafer, and a control circuit that exchanges signals with the chips on the wafer through the probe card to determine whether the chips are defective. When the chips on the wafer output internal signals in response to signals of the control circuit transferred through the probe card, the control circuit receives the internal signals, determines whether the chips on the wafer are defective, and sorts the chips. In general, the testing apparatus contacts the probe card with one wafer several times to test the wafer.